1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a detection device for detecting a state of a toner image, an image forming apparatus employing the detection device, and a method of removing foreign substances from the detection device, and more particularly, to a detection device capable of reducing a detection error by preventing contamination of the detection device, an image forming apparatus employing the detection device, and a method of removing foreign substances from the detection device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus forms an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive body by an exposure operation, forms a toner image on the photosensitive body by supplying toner, transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive body to a printing medium, and fixes the transferred toner image to the printing medium by using heat and pressure, thereby performing printing.
However, in a case of the toner image formed on the photosensitive body, a state of the toner image such as concentration and an aligned state of the toner image may deviate from predetermined standards due to environmental effects such as temperature and humidity while performing a transfer operation. To address such problems, a state of the toner image may be detected, a concentration may be adjusted according to a value obtained by detection, or the aligned state may be adjusted.
However, since a detection device detecting a state of a toner image may be disposed adjacent to an image bearing member with the toner image formed such as a photosensitive body to detect the toner image, the detection device may be contaminated contaminate by foreign substances such as scattered toner while forming the toner image. Such contamination of the detection device generates a detection error, which makes an adjustment operation according thereto indefinite.